Single use, inexpensive wristbands have been commercially available for many years and while early designs were principally plastic bands requiring separately printed labels, later designs improved on these both in cost and convenience by providing a self laminating wristband die cut into a page sized business form for processing through a laser printer. Other later designs also provided single layer or single ply wristbands similarly die cut into a carrier or page sized business form. These later designs are much less expensive, may be conveniently printed and assembled at the point of in-patient processing for health care applications, and are sufficiently sturdy to withstand the healthcare environment at least for temporary stays. The assignee of the present patent filing has experienced great success in this field and its products incorporating its wristband inventions and designs are market leaders not only in creativity, ingenuity, and inventiveness but also in commercial success. Just a few exemplary issued patents and published patent applications for these wristband inventions and designs include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,510,634; 7,386,949; 2007/0220796; 2007/0089342; 2008/0098636; 2008/0109937; and 2008/0250688; as well as unpublished patent application Ser. No. 12/026,030 filed Feb. 5, 2008; and Ser. No. 12/115,945, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A number of these wristband inventions and designs include a strap and cinch slot for attaching the wristband about a wearer's appendage, most often his wrist. Wristbands incorporating this unique attachment arrangement have met with great commercial success and are made and sold by the millions each year. Many of these designs incorporate the cinch slot at or in an imaging area, situated opposite an end of a strap often extending from the other side of the imaging area, so that the wristband is secured by looping the strap around the wrist and inserting it through the cinch slot before being doubled over and adhered back onto itself. Uniformly in these wristband designs/inventions the cinch slot and imaging area are consolidated at only one end of the wristband and the strap extends to an opposite end. In those instances when a “hang tag” is desired, a separate card with slot is provided and the wristband strap is inserted through the slot to “hang” it loosely from the wristband after it is attached to the wearer. As shown in one or more of the patents mentioned above, the separate card may itself be self-laminating, although it need not be depending on the desire of the purchaser and the intended application.
In its continuing efforts to design and develop new and inventive solutions to wristband needs, the inventors herein have designed and developed a new and novel wristband design which, in broad terms, comprises separating the cinch slot from the imaging area. By separating the imaging area from the cinch slot, and in at least one embodiment putting the imaging area at an opposite end of the strap from the cinch slot, a novel arrangement is achieved that has a number of advantages. For example, simply flexing or bending the imaging area permits it to be threaded through the cinch slot and then it naturally returns to its at rest configuration which provides an integrally formed mechanical fastening arrangement without further action by the nurse. And, when applied in this manner, a natural “hang tag” configuration is achieved without need of a separate slotted id card or the like. If provided with a patch of adhesive, and depending on where it is applied, the imaging area and wristband can be further secured in place either in hang tag mode or not in the event the outer edge of the imaging area has the adhesive. If the adhesive is applied to the outer edge, the imaging area is thus not only secured by an “interference fit” between its larger width against the narrower cinch slot, but also with adhesive at its opposite side. This arrangement allows the imaging area to be adhered or “locked down” to better conform to the wearer's wrist. The imaging area may be made to accept printing, such as by being processed through a laser printer, thermal printer or suitable other printer. Alternately, a separate label may be printed and adhered to the imaging area or a nurse may simply write information thereon.
To enhance the usability of the wristband, the imaging area may be shaped to not only make it easier to fit through the cinch slot but also increase the difficulty in removing it or backing it out through the cinch slot. One such shape is a taper, or “shovel”, shape which has a narrower tip or outer end and a wider back end, to which an even more sharply tapered tip may be provided having a width narrower than the cinch slot so that it may be conveniently started into the cinch slot and assist in guiding the imaging area therethrough. The cinch slot itself may also be located in an enlarged cinch slot area or simply slot area, spaced from the imaging area and in one embodiment at least at an opposite end from the imaging area. In other embodiments, the imaging area may be provided with straps extending from either side and with the cinch slot area located at an outer end of one such strap with the other strap having either a continuous, uniform width smaller than the cinch slot or with a shovel formed at an outer end to provide the same interference fit closure. In an alternative, a second label may be applied to this second, outboard shovel and used for additional patient information or special precaution information such as Allergies, Fall Risk, or even Do Not Resuscitate.
The cinch slot may preferably be formed in an enlarged cinch slot area, or slot area, preferably located at an outboard end of a strap which has the imaging area preferably at the opposite end of the same strap. The cinch slot may be located otherwise, as desired by the user or to fit a particular application, but is preferably separated from the imaging area. The cinch slot may preferably have a shape facilitating the passing therethrough of the imaging area or shovel closure or strap end. One example of such a shape would be a “D” shape, which would preferably have a width greater than the strap, but narrower than the widest part of the imaging area or shovel, and an arcuate portion against which the imaging area or shovel could flex and be guided therethrough. A supplementary closure may be provided as desired, such as with a series of holes along a strap and a matching hole in the imaging area so that as the band is wrapped around a wearer's wrist, a joinder such as a clasp or male/female mating pin or the like may be fit through the aligned holes and join the strap to the imaging area or shovel.
The wristband invention as disclosed in its various embodiments may be constructed of a single ply of material, such a polyester or polyethylene film, or even a composite single ply of the same or similar materials. The material chosen may be suitable to allow for thermal printing of the wristband, die cut into a business form such as a carrier or page or sheetlet, and provided with self adhering labels or not. Another suitable material would be Tyvek® or the commercial equivalent. For thermal printing, the wristbands may be formed in separate carriers and then a plurality of carriers formed end to end in a roll. In an alternate embodiment, the wristbands may be formed of multiple plies of material, with one ply being a laminate for a self-laminating version, die cut into a business form in a fashion as exemplified in the patents mentioned above.
Several notable features of the wristband invention as contained in the several preferred embodiments include an imaging area that is shaped to pass through a cinch slot but yet provides a mechanical or interference fit or joinder for the wristband, a printer processible wristband with a non-adhesive but functional mechanical attachment, a wristband which automatically forms a hang tag upon being secured, a cinch slot separated from an imaging area unlike assignee's other wristband inventions incorporating a cinch slot, an imaging area which serves the dual purpose of receiving information desired to be displayed but also is shaped to form part of the wristband attachment, and more than one “shovel” or imaging area incorporated into a single wristband.
The foregoing explanation of several features of the several preferred embodiments of the invention has been given to be exemplary of the invention and not limiting. Additional features and a more detailed explanation is provided in connection with the drawings below.